johnson



Aug. 9, 1955 A. o. JOHNSON 2,714,736

SELF-WRINGING MOP Filed Aug. 2?, 1952 2 Sheets-Shet 1 Aug. 9, 1955 A. o. JOHNSON SELF-WRINGING MP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 27, 1952 INVENTOR.

SELF-.WRINGIN G MOP Alvin 0. Johnson, Home Products, of Massachusetts Application August 27, 1952, Serial No. 306,523 1 la 15-119) Westfield, Mass assignor to Stanley Inc., Westfield, Mass., a corporation a wringing handle of such a mop as described to the plate other than the one to which the manipulating handle is connected.

Such means is constructed and arranged so that pressure applied by the handle in the use of the mop is imparted to both the mop holding plates thereby obtaining a greater degree of efiiciency and insuring against undesired relative swinging out of the plates.

All of the above objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangements of parts thereof, as will fully appear by a perusal of the description below and by various specific features which will be hereinafter set forth.

To the above cited and other ends and with the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages and other objects of my invention as will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed and more fully described and referred to in connection with the accompanying drawings wherem:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a mop construction embodying the novel features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the mop construction shown in Fig. l with the handle and connector mechanism omitted; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevational view on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the invention will be more fully described.

A pair of relatively swingable plates 2 and 4 are shown with longitudinal rows of relatively spaced apertures 6 in which the convolutions of a coiled member 8 are disposed.

A unitary rnop body 10 is secured to the underside of the plates and may be formed from sponge-like material such as cellulose material, sponge rubber or the like adapted to absorb water for mopping purposes and being flexible so that it may be doubled longitudinally for wringing out of water.

An elongated handle is shown at 12 which has a lower tongue portion 14 inserted beneath an elevated ledge portion 18 of one of the plates such as 2. The elevated portions may be formed by upsetting the metal of the plates and provide walls such as 42.

A clamp member 20 has an outer end 22 for hearing on the portion 18 of the plate and a screw 24 extends through the tongue portion and clamp member. A nut 2,714,736 Patented Aug. 9, 1955 ice 26 in threaded engagement with the screw bears on the clamp 20 so that the plate is releasably secured to handle whereby the mop may be manipulated by the handle.

The lower end of the handle 12, the tongue portion 14 thereof and the clamp member 20 are so arranged and cooperate with the ledge in such a manner that the handle, as it is secured to plate 2, extends across and upwardly and rearwardly angularly relative to the other plate 4, as shown in Fig. 1.

Inasmuch as the plates are relatively swingable and the mop construction is such that the longitudinal side portions of the mop member are relatively swingable, particularly when said mop member is wet, there is danger of the side of the mop opposite to that to which the handle is attached doubling up underneath as the mop is moved along a surface.

In mop of the type to which the invention relates, pressure applied by the handle is actually applied to the plate to which it is connected. As a consequence, the mop is not as efiicient as though pressure were applied to both plates simultaneously.

According to novel features of the invention, means is provided to hold the plates 2 and 4 against relative swinging whereby pressure of the handle is simultaneously applied to said plates.

A retainer 30 associated with the plate 4 extends upwardly therefrom and is constructed and arranged to yieldingly and releasably engage the mop handle.

Said retainer 30 is preferably formed from rather stiff but somewhat yieldable wire into the form of an inverted U. At its upper end the retainer has a loop 32 adapted to receive the handle. Side arms 34 depend therefrom to lower lateral portions 36.

The lower lateral portions 36 are insertable beneath ledge 18 and in the space 16 between said ledge 18 and the upper side of the mop body 10. The extremities 38 of portions 36 extend through openings 40 of rear wall 42.

The side arms 34 of the retainer intermediate their ends are bowed inwardly relative to one another so that the distance between inner adjacent sides, indicated by 46, is relatively less than the diameter of the handle. The lower lateral portions 36 are spaced apart a relatively greater distance than the distance between the side arms whereby the retainer is adequately supported against sidewise movements. Heels 44 at the jointure of the side arms and portions 36 of the retainer rest upon the plate and in cooperation with the extremities 38 in the openings 40 prevent objectionable fore and aft movements of the retainer.

With the retainer associated with the plate as shown, the handle may be swung so as to pass between the side arms so that the handle is yieldingly and snugly embraced thereby. The portions of the side arms, having a less distance apart than the diameter of the handle, are disposed forwardly of a plane parallel to and extending through the longitudinal axis of the handle.

Thus, the handle which is connected to one plate is releasably connected by the retainer to the adjacent plate wherefor pressure applied to said one plate by the handle is simultaneously applied through the retainer to the adjacent plate. In this way the pressure of the mop mem her is equal throughout its area.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications and variations as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appended claim are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A mop construction comprising in combination, a pair of elongated plates having a mop element secured to lower faces thereof and being hingedly connected at adjacent inner edges for swinging of said plates downwardly from coplanar horizontal mopping relation towards one 'another to element squeezing relation, an elongated handle, means carried by the lower end of said handle and the upper face of one of said plates for releasably securing the handle to said plate and arranged and adapted to position said handle so that it extends across and upwardly and rearwardly angularly relative to said other plate in coplanar relation of said plates, said other plate provided with an elongated longitudinally extending socket open towards the hinged connection of said plates, and a retainer separate from said handle connected to said other plate for releasably engaging said handle in coplanar relation of the plates and releasably holding said plates against swinging from coplanar to element squeezing relation, said retainer being formed from a continuous elongated relatively yieldable member and having relatively spaced lateral portions at opposite ends thereof inserted in opposite ends of the socket of said other plate for connecting the retainer to said other plate and provided with spaced side portions extending from said lateral portions across and upwardly angularly relative to said other plate, said retainer at the upper ends of said side portions being in the form of a loop extending rearwardly and being open towards the hinged connections of said plates for receiving the rear and opposite sides of said handle in coplanar relation of said plates, and said side portions being arranged to yieldingly and releasably embrace opposite sides of said handle in coplanar relation of the plates.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 548,622 Ballam Oct. 29, 1895 1,089,460 Clay Mar. 10, 1914 1,615,483 Prestwich Jan. 25, 1927 2,288,647 Reynolds July 7, 1942 2,486,102 Berndsen Oct. 25, 1949 2,663,039 Bagley Dec. 22, 1953 2,667,653 Le Febvre Feb. 2, 1954 2,677,837 Channel May 11, 1954 

